APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With four different series — including seven Broadway shows on the slate for the 2025-26 season — President and CEO Maria Van Laanen said the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center is gearing up for a lot of traffic.
“We announced our Boldt Arts Alive! series, our Menasha Corporation Spotlight series, the Viewpoint Speaker series, and of course our Kimberly Clark Broadway Across America series.”
The Broadway series, which includes returning favorites ‘Hamilton’ and ‘The Book of Mormon,’ are certain to draw crowds.
As are newcomers, including the ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ — a musical created and inspired by 17-time Grammy award winner Alicia Keys.
Doug Jorgensen from Neenah expressed his excitement after the presentation.
“Hell’s Kitchen, you can’t get better than that, right? And then you have Book of Mormon, and you’ve got, Hamilton coming back, and then some new ones I don’t know about, and we get to revisit the story of the Great Gatsby again!”
Jorgensen said the performances bring plenty of traffic to downtown Appleton, including his family.
“We go to Katsu-Ya very often, and that’s a great time, so yeah. How do you not come to Appleton?”
Sandi Halron, a season ticket holder since the PAC opened in 2002, says they always make sure to eat local before the shows.
“We’ve enjoyed many many seasons here, and this coming season is pretty exciting.”
She continued, “We love to go to Sangria’s, a Mexican restaurant that’s not far from here.”
The Performing Arts Center also provides a list of recommended restaurants to eat at before or after shows.
Van Laanen said the PAC wants to bring the community in on the performances —
“People can keep an eye on our website for our community first community engagement activities, and that’s where we will take what is happening on stage and bring it home to the community in meaningful ways by partnering with other non-profit organizations,” she said. “Telling the story of our community and how they translate into the shows.”
